57-year-old singer and composer Brett James, known for the hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel" for Carrie Underwood and hundreds of songs for country music stars, died in a plane crash in North Carolina, writes Independent, reports UNN.
Details
The Grammy Award winner, best known for writing Carrie Underwood's song "Jesus, Take the Wheel," was reportedly "on board a small plane that crashed in Macon County near Franklin, North Carolina, on Thursday."
According to FlightAware data, "the Cirrus SR22T aircraft was registered to the musician and departed from Nashville, Tennessee, with three people on board."
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation. The NTSB will be responsible for the investigation and will provide further information
"We mourn the untimely loss of 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Brett James, who died in a small plane crash on September 18," the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame said in a statement.
"I am absolutely devastated by the loss of one of the best writers I have ever written with and recorded several of his songs. Brett James. I am praying for his loved ones. What a tragic and sad day. We will miss him so much," country music star Sara Evans wrote on Instagram.
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Born on June 5, 1968, James initially planned a career in medicine but instead followed his love for music and released his first and only solo album in 1995.
James later became a behind-the-scenes star in country music, writing songs for prominent artists such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Kenny Chesney, and Martina McBride. In 2001, he scored his first No. 1 single with "Who I Am," performed by Jessica Andrews.
Throughout his career, James wrote over 300 songs. His most famous song was "Jesus, Take the Wheel," recorded by Underwood.
Although the song only reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, it won two Grammy Awards in 2007 for "Best Country Song" and "Best Female Country Vocal Performance."
The song subsequently won awards for ACM Single of the Year, ASCAP Country Song of the Year, and NSAI Song of the Year. Thanks to his songwriting, James was also twice named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 2006 and 2010.
He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. At the ceremony, which took place in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, James said: "I want to thank the songwriting community and all my fellow songwriters. This award belongs, in particular, to you."